A Day In The Life Of
by dave-d
Summary: Before she had come to like Sousuke, Kaname often worried that he would ruin her life. How much of her problems were her own doing? Just how much could happen in one really bad day?
1. Default Chapter

A light snow fell, the flakes looking like small white butterflies gliding slowly to the ground.

Kaname turned her face to the sky, feeling the chill caress of the snow, wondering what the occurrence might portent.

Would today be the greatest of days……one where everything would go smoothly? Would her test scores fill her classmates with envy? Could her planning for the school winter festival bring smiles of thanks and admiration from her peers?

She almost walked straight out into the busy intersection, her mind distracted by scenes of well-deserved satisfaction and happiness.

A gust of wind interrupted those thoughts, blowing her skirts in a tangle around her legs and sending a biting chill skittering across her chest. Could today be one of those days instead?

"Kaname, slow down. It is most difficult to keep an eye on you when you duck out of sight or run off unannounced. No doubt you did so to test my abilities, or to satisfy your need for athletic stimulation. But, I can see no reason for walking into the heart of traffic." His dark hair dotted with white, Sousuke walked quickly to Kaname's side.

Her sigh was so long and deep, that Kaname found herself momentarily starved for breath.

'Sousuke. Of course. How could I ever forget?'

She had a good idea of what type of day it was going to be.

"I didn't actually walk into the street, did I, Mr. Doom and Gloom. If I did, it would be to get away from this rather annoying shadow I have. See, the sun isn't even out, but the big blot on my life is here just the same!" Her hands were on her hips and she was looking directly at the young sergeant.

Sousuke looked behind himself. He looked left, then looked right.

"Kaname, I see no shadow. You insistence on the presence of an unseen entity gives me pause. My level of concern is rather high. Yesterday you said you had an albatross around your neck, but there was nothing there but a necklace. It may be that you are in need of an eye examination. Even worse, you may be experiencing the early stages of dementia precox." He took a small pad out of his pocket. "Please wait a moment while I write down the time and particulars."

Kaname's teeth chattered, but it was not from the cold. She yelled, causing the other individuals walking the street to put a great deal of distance between her and themselves. "HOW CAN ANYONE BE SO STUPID! Sousuke, can you answer me that?"

Sousuke looked at Kaname with a stunned look on his face.

"Miss Chidori, please. Do not be so harsh. You should know that I have the utmost respect for you. I do not believe that you are that stupid." He brushed his sleeves clear of clinging snow. "Mental illness is not stupidity."

"Oooooh. SOUSUKE!" Kaname stopped and stared at her faithful but unwanted companion. She was about to toss out another acerbic remark, but doubted it would be any more effective than the last one. Instead, she contented herself by stamping her foot, turning, and hurrying ahead on her own.

As Kaname was heading up the front walk of the school, she saw Kyouko. Cutting across the lawn area, she hurried to see her friend, and then caught movement out of the corner of her eye. It was a group of boys from the rugby team. They were pelting passersby with snowballs.

They lofted a couple in her direction.

"Miss Chidori, GET DOWN!" Sousuke's voice got to Kaname a fraction of a second before he did. She was tackled, sent face first into the snow, her school books scattering across the pristine white ground.

The first thing Kaname saw when she picked herself up was Kyouko and her camera. The flash caused her to blink a number of times. When her vision returned to normal, she saw Sousuke offer her his hand, to help pull her up off the ground.

"My mistake. I thought they might be grenades. An honest miscalculation. It is always better to be safe than sorry." The first thing that Sousuke saw was Kaname's snow-covered face. The second thing he saw was stars.

"Y-you y-you MORON! Why would anyone…… other than you…… have grenades at high school?" She swung her halisen with maximum force, sending Sousuke feet first into the principal, who was just then reaching the top of the steps. The principal and Sousuke bounced down the steps and slid into a series of large slushy puddles.

Kyouko's camera was working overtime.

"MISTER SAGARA!" The principal sounded understandably upset, his briefcase poring out water and his expensive new overcoat spotted with large splotches of mud and leaves. "Why should I be surprised to find out that it was you who caused this tragedy?"

"I apologize, sir. It was my fault. I was caught unawares by Miss Chidori's paper fan. I had not expected that she could knock me that far." Sousuke rubbed the side of his face, now sporting a large red area matching the width of the halisen.

"I see. She would have been my second guess. It seems you are not at fault after all. But, I strongly suggest that you stay out of trouble. I have my eyes on you, young man!" The angry man marched over to Kaname, who had just finished picking up her wet school books.

"M-M-Mr. Principal…… I..." Kaname didn't have the opportunity to finish with her apology.

"Miss Chidori. You will report to my office immediately after the start of your study period. It is a very good thing that your father is out of the country." With that, he strode swiftly towards the school, all too aware of the snickers and obvious laughter from the students and teachers he passed. He stopped, and turned around, looking at Kaname. "It would be an extraordinarily good idea to refrain from any other trouble today."

While Kaname was sputtering her acquiescence, Sousuke was remarking to Kyouko "I was thinking perhaps today would be a special day, given the occasion of so much snow during this month of the year. I hope that Kaname does not destroy the promise of such a day."

Kyouko's only answer was a smile. She was too busy snapping pictures to speak.

Kaname was very fortunate that her next attack on Sousuke was not witnessed by anyone on the teaching staff.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname was still damp from her unexpected embrace of the snow-covered lawn.

She counted her blessings nonetheless:

(a) None of her books were beyond repair. That had happened yesterday. And last Thursday. Fortunately, Mithril was picking up the cost of replacement books.

(b) The remainder of the student council…… not to mention the photojournalist club…… did not witness her ignominy. That had happened on Monday, when Sousuke pulled off her sequined red shirt, because the bright sun made it look like it was on fire. Of course, the incident had to happen on Parent-Teacher Day, at the front of the school. At least the crossing guard had applauded...

(c) She hadn't pulled a muscle or bruised half of her ribs. Had that been Wednesday? Yes. Wednesday, while she was walking through the auditorium. The drama club had been rehearsing. Sousuke had been worried that the fog from the unseen dry ice might be poison gas, or an anesthetic agent heralding a kidnap attempt. He brought her to 'safety,' pulling her with him through a second story window. The window washer broke their fall.

Kaname walked into the classroom, hoping for some needed relaxation.

English class was usually uneventful. It was almost like an additional study hall for Kaname, who was fluent in English after her stay in America. She usually earned brownie points with her teacher, acting like an assistant teacher to the other students.

Today, there was a substitute, a young man raised in Chicago. A Japanese native, he returned to his native country when his father's restaurant folded. He was eager to look cool to the boys in the class, and was teaching them colorful phrases and slang.

Kaname had made the error of discouraging that practice. The other girls in the class had loudly voiced their agreement.

Kaname had effectively made herself a target. The boys all tried out their new language skills on her when the substitute stepped out of the room for a brief moment. That, of course, did not sit too well with Sousuke. An attack is an attack is an attack. It was his job to prevent the occurrence of danger, or to remove it efficiently when it reared its ugly head.

"Hey, Chidori…… nice rack!" The one boys comment had a number of like-minded guys chuckling. It also prompted Sousuke's own exploration of American slang.

"Kaname, has that boy been to your apartment and seen your bed?" That had Kaname turning red and stating an emphatic 'no.' After which the young sergeant asked "Why did he say you have a nice rack. In the U.S. military, that word meant a military bed, bunk, cot, or flop; as in 'hit the rack'. To conserve space on-board ship, especially troop transport vessels, bunks were arranged in a tier or rack; which may be the origin of this usage." He rubbed his jaw. "It also referred to the framework for mounting or hanging armaments or munitions such as a bomb load."

"He was talking about my breasts, you big idiot!" Kaname shouted. She blushed, realizing the classroom door was open and students were still walking through the hallway.

The guys in the class chuckled. The girls simply sighed and shook their heads. Kaname gave the one boy a look that promised great pain. Not because of his sly comment about her breasts. That was merely annoying. But, if he started Sousuke talking like a military dictionary….

"Yeh Chidori, nice hooters!" Another boy smirked, trying to get the ball rolling again. He took things a bit further. "Makes me wonder about poon tang!"He chuckled, feeling a bit smug.

Kaname blanched. When she found her tongue, she whispered "they're all assholes" under her breath. She didn't want to make a big scene, since that would only spur the jerks on, and had a risk of setting Sousuke off.

"I see, Kaname." Sousuke's keen hearing had caught Kaname's utterance. "You think they are all assholes." That had the class gasp, wondering what would happen next. "By that I assume you are not referring to 3d Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. While conventionally known as All American or AA, those letters led to the nicknames All Assholes and All Afros. Also, due to their comfortable duty assignment, they were also tagged them with the name Air Mattress. Nevertheless, serving in Vietnam between 18 February 1968 and 11 December 1969.….. attached to the 101st Airborne Division Airmobile…… the 3rd Brigade fought in I Corps, primarily in Hue, before later being moved down to Saigon to defend Tan Son Nhut Air Base."

Kaname's hands tightly gripped the sides of her desk.

"Hey Chidori, you'll be happy to know that I'm Donkey-Rigged." The third boy pointed to his crotch. "You know, Hung Like a Horse." He swiveled his hips. "So why don't you bend over and Urk!"

The 'Urk' had nothing to do with gutter talk. It was the sound that the boy made when Sousuke's bolo wrapped around his neck, knocking him out when the heavy balls struck his temples. The Mithril operative had obviously heard enough.

The first boy hit the ground a few heartbeats before the boy next to him, the one with the dart in the back of his neck. The knock-out agent made certain that he felt no pain. The same could not be said for the third of the transgressors, lifted up chair and all and thrown against the blackboard, followed soon by his desk and books.

Sousuke returned to his seat very quickly, the picture of innocence. "They merely needed an attitude adjustment. By that, I do not mean an adjustment to their pitch, yaw, or roll, as in an aircraft. Nor was I referring to the motivation of performance directed by command guidance or peer pressure, also called 'wall-to-wall counseling'."

Automatically trying to cover for Sousuke…… and making sure that the one boy would not die from strangulation…… Kaname was caught holding the bolo and the dart when the substitute teacher ran in, the loud crash still echoing in his ears.

The boys were sent to the infirmary. Kaname had the golden opportunity to visit the principal.

Her study hall time would be spent cleaning erasers.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname found some things about science useful.

She was particularly fond of the principle stating that 'For Every Action, There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction.'

Sousuke's actions did not go unpunished. Kaname's reactions conveyed her level of dissatisfaction far better than her tongue-lashing had. It was nice to know that there was a principle backing her up.

The Mithril operative's school uniform had started off dark blue. It was now near white, after having a whirling dervish of a girl pound on him with erasers shortly after the previous class.

The students were now sitting at their work benches. Her mood lifted, Kaname was actually whistling, even though she didn't usually care for 'experiment day' in Chemistry class. That mood soon evaporated when the teacher called out the pairings for the day.

Sousuke was her lab partner.

'Why did I even bother getting out of bed this morning?' she asked herself.

The teacher was in fine voice as he explained the first of the morning's experiments, his labcoat swaying slightly in the cold breeze from an partly opened window. "Please remove the following items from your cabinets. A pair of safety glasses for each student. Three glass jars for each team. A bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, making certain that the top is secure. A bottle of bleach. And a roll of paper towels or other absorbent material useful for cleaning up spills."

The teacher asked a question to the class. "Who can tell me what an 'unstable element' is?"

Sousuke raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Sagara?" The teacher had not expected him to answer. He was usually very quiet, keeping to himself.

"Teletha Testa…… uhhh…… someone I know with a good background in science has remarked on occasion that Miss Kaname Chidori is an unstable element." The class laughed.

Before the teacher could correct Sousuke, he was knocked off of his lab stool by Kaname's fist.

Shaking his head, the teacher said "I may have to agree with you, Mr. Sagara." Kaname turned beat red. Kyouko snapped a couple of pictures. "Mr. Kazama, can you answer the question?"

"Yes sir," Shinji replied respectfully. "An unstable element is a substance that breaks down by itself."

"Very good. Do I have a volunteer to tell me what a 'catalyst' is?"

"A substance that speeds up reactions" a pimple-faced young man said, stuttering.

"Yes, excellent. Anyone want to tell me what a 'decomposition reaction' is?

"A decomposition reaction is a reaction where a substance 'AB' splits up into its components 'A' and 'B.'" Kyouko's explanation was entirely correct.

"Aptly stated, Miss Tokiwa. From that we can all infer that 'decompose' refers to..." The teacher left the question hanging.

"When something falls apart!" Kaname rushed with her answer, not wanting anyone else to beat her to the punch.

"Yes. Falls apart chemically." The teacher's clarification did not sit well with Kaname. Sousuke's subsequent remark sat even less well.

"Mr. Sagara, you had your hand up, did you have something to add?" The teacher should have known better. Sousuke should have as well.

"Uhhh…… upon further thinking…… it is best that I do not answer. It would prove unwise for me to state that Miss Chidori often falls apart."

It was so quiet, that one could have heard the smallest of pins drop. The other students watched eagerly, as Kaname fought to contain her temper. Her face went from pink to salmon to rose to dark red, the mercury moving upward in her personal thermometer.

The teacher closed his eyes and put his fingers in his ears.

Sousuke ended up in the reagent sink, a test tube brush in one ear and a graduated cylinder in his mouth.

When the class had settled down again, the teacher moved forward valiantly, never missing a beat. "The reaction between bleach and hydrogen peroxide is a decomposition reaction. Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable substance."

He looked over at Sousuke, waving his finger in warning. "Bleach serves as a catalyst. When the bleach is poured in, the hydrogen peroxide decomposes into its base elements, but not completely. What you have left is water and oxygen, because hydrogen peroxide is in general a water molecule with an extra oxygen. So, when it breaks up, it loses that extra oxygen. Please put on your lab coats and your safety glasses." He continued. "There will be absolutely no horseplay, as usual. While water and oxygen are harmless in this experiment, you should be cautious when using the bleach. If it gets on your clothing, it will ruin them."

Kaname decided to play it safe. She put an extra two lab coats on, one backward.

"Alright, let's start off by pouring ¾ of a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the first jar."

Sousuke carried out the task quickly and efficiently. As he handled the colorless syrupy liquid, he added his own bit of knowledge to the day's activity. "Hydrogen peroxide was first used in World War II by the military of a number of nations. It was used in fuels for rockets and torpedoes." He had picked up the bottle of bleach, removing its cap with a deft twist of his hand.

"Like anyone here would care about that!" Kaname reached for the bleach bottle, but Sousuke held it over his head. Shinji had turned to stare at Sousuke starry-eyed. Kyouko smiled, her camera ready. "Give me the bleach, Sousuke. It's my turn."

"I must refuse, Miss Chidori. It is not exactly a harmless substance. It is my task to keep you safe from all harm." He might as well have been waving a red flag in front of a bull.

"Sousuke. Give. It. To. Me. Now!" With that last word, she kicked Sousuke in the shin and yanked hard on the bottle. She managed to get it out of his grip. She did not manage to get a hold on it herself, juggling it frantically until she tripped over her stool.

The room was soon silent again.

When Kaname located the errant bottle, she found it in front of an irate young lady. Bleach had spurted all over her dark hair. It had also trickled inside of her protective clothing, saturating her expensive new dress.

Kaname cursed silently. 'I should have called in sick today.' That girl was the last person the bleach should have landed on.

She was the school superintendent's daughter.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname was on pins and needles.

The oral exam in World History could be on a number of different topics. Each student would be asked a different question, and would be expected to give at least a brief outline in answer. The more complete the response, the better the grade. This would be serving as a mid-term, counting towards thirty percent of the overall grade.

She didn't have the enthusiasm for the subject that Sousuke had.

'Damn his hide. No. double damn him. It's his fault, after all.'

Still, she had done most of the necessary work……. until last night. There had been only one more subject to study: Women in the military.

Women in the military.

That was the last subject that she had any desire to learn. Sousuke was in the military, after a fashion. Kaname wanted to be some place far away from Sousuke. She would choose any occupation diametrically opposed to his. Still, she had been dutifully prepared to learn the assigned material. She had planned to work on the remaining material last night.

After she got back from the grocery store.

Her cupboard had been nearly bare. She had a spoonful of tea left. That, two drops of milk, and a small bit of cabbage. There was no way she could put this off again, like she had every night for the past week. She needed a good meal.

She couldn't spend all night studying on a near-empty stomach.

There had been another issue at hand. Sousuke. She had hoped that she could have the blissful opportunity to go out and get her shopping done without seeing any sign of her unwanted shadow.

Of course, when she had left her apartment building, she heard something rustling the bushes. Running over to the roadside, she frightened eight lives out of a small black cat.

The poor creature bolted, crossing her path a number of times.

'Good thing I'm not superstitious.' She had laughed. 'Even better…… it wasn't him!'

No sooner had she said that, than she heard what sounded to be an echo. Every time she took a step, she thought she heard two footsteps.

"Oh NO," she said to no one in particular.

Was that Sousuke?

Kaname had spent fifteen minutes walking a circuitous route, trying to shake her echo. She had headed down bare alleyways and open areas of street. It was slower going, but she spent a fair amount of time walking backwards. She never caught a single glance of anyone, except for an elderly woman walking her dog.

Aware of Kaname's strange behavior, the woman had spoken to her pet in a hurried voice. "C'mon Pippit. No telling what's wrong with her!"

"Damn that Sousuke!"

Now he had old women and dogs thinking badly of her. She had smacked the halisen against her thigh with every other step.

The echo had still been there.

"Ah Ha!'

She had had an idea, knowing how she could flush Sousuke out.

"No. Please. Let me go. S-o-m-e-b-o-d-y h-e-l-p m-e-e-e-e..." She kicked over a number of garbage cans, causing a fierce some racket. Sure enough, she heard a series of rapid footsteps, culminating with Sousuke rolling into view, pistol drawn.

Sitting at her desk, Kaname looke around sheepishly. Everyone was looking at her. She must have smacked her fist hard against the desk or something. Yes, the wood was actually cracked.

She yawned. There was no way to stop herself. She yawned again. Nearly lapsing into sleep, her mind replayed the further events of the previous evening:

"SOUSUKE! I thought I told you not to follow me. Can't a girl go out for a breath of fresh air. I should scream for help and tell the police that you tried to attack me. They'd put you in jail for a while before I told them the truth. If I ever told them the truth." Kaname kicked garbage in Sousuke's direction.

She would resort to the foulest trick if it meant getting back at that moody military maniac.

"Kaname. I assure you, it is only..."

"'Coincidence,' Sousuke? Were you going to say that word again? For your sake…...and the police force's…... I hope not." Kaname kicked off a shoe and began to unbutton her skirt. That would make her claim look realistic.

"Uh..."

"Well, Sousuke!"

"It was only that I was worried about you. I was ordered to wait by my radio tonight, but I was concerned for you. I would not want to see you hurt." Sousuke's voice was very sincere.

"Oh. I see. Well. That's very nice of you Sousuke." Kaname smiled, but soon forced herself to stop. What was she doing? What was that annoying feeling. She didn't have time to waste.

"Miss Chidori? Kaname Chidori, is that you?" It was a man's voice. Mr. Nokibasu, the janitor from her building. A very kind man.

And one of the biggest gossips around.

"What are you doing out here? Ah..." When he had walked close enough, he saw Kaname's hand on her partially unbuttoned skirt, her unzipped coat giving him a good opportunity. He saw her bare foot, an oddity on a chilly January night.

"I see. Wouldn't it be better if the two of you found a room? You guys must be really noisy if you had to leave the apartment. It's a good thing I stumbled across this, and not Miss Akiyama. She's an incurable blabbermouth."

Kaname was too stunned to offer a rebuttal as the man practically ran down the street, whistling happily. When she could move again, she whacked Sousuke hard on the shins with the paper fan.

"Ouch. Kaname, that hurt."

"Yes, Sousuke. It was supposed to hurt. It will be all your fault if I end up with a bad reputation!" She swung again, but Sousuke dodged this time.

"Reputation, Kaname?"

"Never mind Sousuke. I don't have the time right now." Her words would turn out to be a prophecy. The grocery store closed at 9 o'clock nightly. She and Sousuke arrived at the storefront at 9:06.

The lights were off and the door was barred.

"No..." Kaname deflated on the spot. She actually sat down on the cold ground. "I wasted all this time when I could have been studying. And I didn't even get any groceries. I'll probably starve to death." Of course, she was only being melodramatic. It was a poor choice of words.

"I will not let you starve." Naturally, Sousuke's mind naturally turned to a military style op. He could have simply offered to share his ample groceries with her. Or, share the cab fee to the all night food emporium further down town. There wasn't any reason he couldn't have suggested fast food or a nice restaurant. "Kaname, if you truly need groceries, I will help you get them here. We could put the money in the cash register. It will not be a problem. I can assure you."

Kaname's mind was spinning too fast. Otherwise, she would have clobbered her companion simply for suggesting such a thing. "Sousuke, how are you going to do that? The door is closed , barred, and double-bolted."

"Over there, Kaname. There is another door. I will exam the lock." After a quick perusal with a small flashlight and a series of probes, he gave his report. "It is a simple lock. I have defeated similar devices in Iran, Syria, and North Korea. This should be no different. I will leave the decision up to you." He had given her a way out, not knowing that he did, or that there was reason to.

Kaname was about to say 'No,' if only because it had sounded like Sousuke wanted her to say 'Yes.' Her stomach chose that minute to rumble. Then grumble. Then roar. "OK, soldier. Maybe you can be of some use after all."

With a set of professional lock picks, it took less than three minutes for Sousuke to gain entry into the unlit room. The air coming out was exceedingly chill, but the winter's air made it impossible to tell. After he held the door for Kaname, he propped a brick in the doorway, holding the door open. While he was reaching in his coat for a large flashlight, he heard Kaname kick the brick away.

"You're supposed to be the professional here, but I was the only one smart enough to keep us from being caught. I can't believe you would be so stupid to leave a brick holding the door open, Sousuke. That was a clear sign that someone was inside." She crossed her arms over her chest.

The flashlight shining on her face, Sousuke had a clear view of her smug smile.

"Kaname. The brick was there in case the door cannot be opened from the inside." He saw the look on Kaname's face sour quickly. Sousuke checked.

He swore.

The door had no handle or mechanism on this side.

"Oh! Great job, Sergeant Stupidity. Now what are we doing to do?" Kaname gasped when she leaned up against something cold and hard. Sousuke shined the light on one of many hanging beef carcasses. "Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. Right this instant!" Kaname felt as if her flesh were crawling.

This was just too creepy.

Sousuke earned another crack on the head with the halisen. He was going to leave Kaname there alone while he explored further. She sank her fingers deep into his coat, not about to let go. After a few moments, he sighed. It spoke volumes.

"A sigh, Sousuke? There had better not be any more bad news."

"Uh. Kaname. I really wish you had not kicked that brick." Those were that last words he spoke for the next fifteen minutes. He was too busy trying to fend off a furious and determined Kaname. She had said that she was going to hang Sousuke up on one of the wicked looking hooks.

She sounded very determined.

Kaname's anger turned to fear soon enough. It was dark. It was very cold. She was locked in the room with the otaku's otaku. Would they freeze to death? If they didn't, what would happen when the store owner or a clerk found them in there? If she missed school on midterm day...

Sousuke was a calming presence. He took off his own coat and placed it over Kaname's, against her protest. He put his arms around her, to give the young woman his body heat. Growing sleepy, she lay her head on his shoulder.

'This is almost nice. Almost very nice' she thought.

The hours crept along, doing their best imitation of a disinterested snail. In the wee hours of the morning, Sousuke stood up, swearing.

"What's wrong, Sousuke?" Kaname was barely awake.

"It may be nothing. I forgot to check to see if this room has more than one external door." Sure enough, there was another one partially hidden by ropes of hanging poultry. It opened from the inside with little effort, leading to a small unused alley way. "We are safe." Sousuke sounded very relieved.

"I'm safe, Sousuke. This was your last day on earth. Help me find that brick."

Kaname would never have guessed that Sousuke could run that fast.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Miss Chidori. Kaname Chidori! Are you sleeping?"

The voice sounded incredulous at first. Then angry. Then amused. Kaname's eyes popped open. It was her Foreign History teacher. He held a large stack of test questions in one hand and his grade book in the other.

"Ah! So glad you could join the rest of us. I apologize if I am inconveniencing you." The class laughed at the teacher's remark.

Kaname was mortified. She had zoned out. Right before the exam. With everybody watching. Her thoughts were dark and violent:

'Damn you, Sousuke! You... will... pay...'

The teacher walked to the front of the class. "Today, I will ask each of you a question. Please give as complete as an answer as you can. Feel free to use the blackboard, globe, or maps if you like. You may not use any books or notes however, unless you wish a failing grade. Today, let's start with the ladies. Hmmm. Lets' see…… what should the first question be..."

'Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military.'

It became a mantra of sorts. Kaname kept thinking those words inside her head.

'Calm down, Kaname. With all of the possible topics, what are the odds that he will call on you for that one?'

"The changing role of women in foreign militaries." The teacher said.

Kaname felt like her head was stuck in a guillotine.

"I will accept anything from ancient times up until the current day. I'll take volunteers, if anyone is so bold." The teacher scratched the back of his head. "As a reward, each volunteer will get to choose the era and country she wishes to speak about." The teacher looked about the room, seeing if he had any takers.

No one spoke or raised their hand.

"Now, someone here must know something about the subject, right?" The teacher began looking somewhat cross.

'Silence is golden,' Kaname thought.

She did not remember where she had read that saying before, but it often held very true. She could weather this storm. If someone spoke up, wishing to curry favor, others would naturally follow suit.

The teacher would be certain to switch the topic before all of the girls had a chance to answer that one question.

"Kaname. You should speak about the concubines. It is a very interesting story." It was Sousuke's voice. "I told you that one before."

He had.

From memory.

Weeks before the class had even reached this study block.

How could he expect anyone but a military freak to remember that story?

"Mr. Sagara, I will ask you to please remain silent. There should be no feeding of questions. No doubt Miss Chidori knows that subject very well." The teacher made it sound as if that topic was now off limits.

Kaname was ready to kill Sousuke. He only had one chance at life. If the teacher felt Kaname was too well versed on the subject, he might give her a different question later.

If that happened, she would find some way to thank him instead.

"But, I do find that tale amusing" the teacher said, smiling. "So, I will make an exception in this case. Miss Chidori, if you will."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Gym class was going to be utter hell.

Today of all days, the school had scheduled the annual physical achievement awards. The competitors would have to run laps... do push ups and sit ups... then work-out on various equipment.

If certain strict requirements were met, a student could win a medal and letter of commendation.

The award meant a lot to Kaname. Her pride was on the line. Everyone was expecting her to succeed again.

But, there was a near insurmountable problem. She was exhausted from her lack of sleep the night before. Her hands were still somewhat numb from spending time in the grocery store freezer.

Not only that, her heart was still beating double time after her ordeal in World History.

Kaname swore under her breath. Her arms were sore and weak. If she didn't keep them moving, they would probably cramp or stiffen up. Maybe she should loosen them up by using the halisen on one particular irritant.

'Sousuke. Just one more thing today. I swear. I will call the newspaper and tell them everything I know about Mithril. Just to get you out of my hair.'

Waiting for the grueling competition to begin, her thoughts had turned back to Foreign History class. Her teacher's smile had burned itself into her retina. The words he spoke still echoed in her ears, slowly, like a tape played at one-third speed:

"Well, Miss Chidori. I'm afraid that will go down as an Incomplete. In a midterm, I might as well call it what it is. Failure."

It had felt as if the entire world had come rushing to a halt. The class had been silent out of utter disbelief. Silent for all of fifteen seconds. After that, the snickers and titters started, growing to a terrible crescendo. Some students had actually ended up laughing. One girl had to be sent to the nurse's office for oxygen. She had guffawed too hard and too long.

Why did some of the students act that way? Why did some people refer to her as an idol?

Failure.

She had never heard that word before.

Failure.

She knew that she was over-reacting, but it almost seemed as if her whole future had been pulled out from under her feet like a rug. And she had Sousuke to thank for it.

How could anything be worse than that?

She soon found out.

"Mr. Sagara," her teacher had called out. "We will take things out of order this time. Please tell us the tale that Miss Chidori was unable to recall."

Kaname was filled with righteous indignation. She was certain that none of the other girls had read that far into the assignment. The concubine story the last piece on the last page, written in small print.

Even the teacher had admitted that he added it as an after-thought.

Sousuke had left his seat, checked all of the pieces of chalk for adequacy, and chosen the one that best met manufacturer's expected criteria. He drew a map of Asia as it had been many centuries ago.

He wielded a pointer like a sword. He even put one leg up on a chair. His narrative was told in a strong voice, the cadence well metered:

"It was the third year of King Ho-lu's rein, in the fifth century B.C., during the Spring and Autumn period, in what would become China. The small nation of Wu had seized the initiative against the much greater nation of Ch'u. That was thanks to Sun Tzu. Before him, Wu's generals had wanted to attack Ch'u, but no action was taken. The generals Wu Tzu-hsu and Po p'i spoke with one another, saying 'We nuture officers and make plans on behalf of the king. These strategies will be advantageous to the state, and for this reason the king should attack Ch'u. But, he has put off issuing the orders and does not have any intention of mobilizing the army. What should we do'?"

"After a while, the King of Wu queried Wu Tzu-hsu and Po p'i. 'I want to send forth the army. What do you think? "They replied "We would like to receive the order.' Yet, the king secretly felt that the two of them harbored secret enmity for Ch'u and was deeply afraid that they would take the army out only to be exterminated. He mounted his tower, faced into the southern wind, and groaned. After a while, he sighed. None of his ministers understood his thoughts. Wu Tzu-hsu secretly realized that the king would not decide, so he recommended Sun-tzu, who's name was Wu, and who was a native of Wu. He excelled at military strategy, but dwelled in secrecy far away from civilization, such that ordinary people had no inkling of his ability.

"Wu Tzu-hsu, himself enlightened and wise, and skilled in discrimination, knew that Sun-tzu could penetrate and destroy the enemy. One morning when he was discussing military affairs, he mentioned Sun-tzu's name seven times. The king had noticed, saying 'Since you have found an excuse to advance this officer, I want to have him brought in.' He would go on to question Sun-tzu about military strategy, and each time that he laid out a section of his book, the king could not praise him enough.

"Greatly pleased, the king inquired: 'If possible, I would like a minor test of your military strategy.'

"Sun-tzu had said: 'It is possible. We can conduct a minor test with women from the inner palace'.

"The king had replied: 'I agree'.

"Sun-tzu went on to say: 'I would like to have two of Your Majesty's beloved concubines act as company commanders, each to direct a company.' He then went on to order all 300 women to wear helmets and armor, and to carry swords and shields. They would all stand. He instructed them in military methods, that in accord with the drum they should advance, withdraw, go left or right, or turn around. He had them know the prohibitions, then ordered 'At the first beating of the drum you should all assemble...at the second drumming you should advance with your weapons...and at the third should deploy into military formations.' At this, the palace women covered their mouths and laughed."

The timing was just too perfect.

A number of the girls in the class laughed at that image. Kaname couldn't help herself and joined in. It sounded like something that Sousuke would try. That thought gave her pause.

'I better never mention that idea to him!'

A look from the teacher settled the girls down.

Sousuke continued with his tale:

"Sun-tzu then personally took up the sticks and beat the drum, giving the orders three times, and explaining them five times..."

There was another interruption.

"He was very lucky" one boy said, chuckling. "If he made an army out of the girls in this class, it would have been five sets of orders and ten explanations." The other boys laughed. The teacher had to cover his mouth, but made certain not top play favorites.

The boys felt his withering stare.

Once again, Sousuke picked up the tale:

"The women all laughed as they had done before. They laughed continually, as if they would never stop. Sun-tzu saw and was enraged. His eyes opened wide...his hair stood straight up under his helmet...his sound was like a terrifying tiger...and the swelling of his neck broke his tassles. He said to the Master of Laws 'Get the executioner's axes.'

"Sun-tzu then said: 'If the instructions are not clear, if the orders and explanations are not trusted, it is the general's fault. When they have already been instructed three times, and the orders explained five times, if the troops still do not perform, it is the fault of the officers. According to the prescripts for military discipline, what is the procedure?'

"The Master of Laws said: 'Decapitation!'

"Sun-tzu then ordered the decapitation of the two company commanders, the king's favorite concubines.

"The King of Wu ascended the platform just as they were about to behead his beloved concubines. He had an official hasten to them with a statement that read: 'I already know that the general is able to command forces. Without those two concubines, my food will not be as sweet. It would be appropriate not to behead them'."

A number of girls in the class sighed.

They sounded relieved that the concubines might be spared. Kaname sneered. It looked as if some people were taking this all a bit too seriously.

Leave it to Sousuke to get everybody in a tizzy!

Sousuke kept on, without missing a beat:

"Sun-tzu said: 'I have already received my commission as commanding general. According to the rules for generals, when I as a general am in command of the army, even though the king issues an order to me, I do not have to accept it.'

"He then had the concubines beheaded."

A number of the boys cheered. One drew his finger across his neck like a knife.

"I hear that history often repeats itself. We could stand to lose a few girls. Because we're not at war, we'll save the cute ones and get rid of the ones who won't put out." The boy's suggestion was met by a raucous cacophony of assent.

Kaname decided that the halisen did not need to be reserved only for Sousuke.

The girls cheered when Kaname did her best to decapitate the boy in front of her. Paper cuts would have to suffice.

The teacher was tempted to bring the hammer down, but was struck by a simple but startling fact. The kids were acting up because of what they heard.

They were actually paying attention.

Nonplussed, Sousuke began again:

"Sun-tzu again beat the drum, and the women went left and right, advanced and withdrew, and turned around in accord with the prescribed standards without daring to blink an eye. The two companies were silent, not daring to look around. Thereupon Sun-tzu reported to the king of Wu: 'The army is already well-ordered. I would like Your majesty to observe them. However you may want to employ them-even sending them forth into fire and water-will not present any difficulty. They can be used to settle All under Heaven'."

Sousuke went on to finish the tale, noting how Sun-tzu eventually convinced the king to act, and that the actions would lead to great victories.

The dramatic way the women were used to illustrate Sun-tzu's theories about military organization lead to his receiving his appointment. Or so it was written.

With charts and diagrams drawn entirely from memory, Sousuke mentioned that women were normally not used as soldiers in ancient times, with a number of noteworthy exceptions, all of which he mentioned. He contrasted that fact with the current role played by women in armed forces across the globe.

The reaction to Sousuke's telling was overwhelmingly positive. The class had showered him with praise.

The teacher had given him an A+.

Kaname had seethed. He had gotten that grade at her expense.

'That otaku bastard!'

After class, Sousuke had come close to gaining his redemption. He explained to the teacher about Kaname's and his misfortunes the night before. The teacher, in deference to Sousuke, had decided to give Kaname another chance. She answered her question well and was given a B grade.

But, there was a stipulation.

Kaname had to write 'I will NOT wait until the last moment to read my assignments' fifty times on the blackboard. When she was finished, she could barely lift her right arm.

Kaname's thoughts returned to the present.

She looked about the gymnasium with a sense of impending doom. Each apparatus seemed ten times as imposing as it had the year before. Each challenge looked near insurmountable. The ropes filled her with dread.

'Were they a mile long last year, too?'

The horse and uneven parallel bars were only slightly less intimidating.

With good graces, Kaname accepted the heartfelt wishes and encouragement of the other girls. It almost seemed as if all of their hopes and aspirations rested on her. How could she ever think about letting them down?

The signal came, and the events began. Kaname gave it everything she had, the activities all blurring together. At the end, she could no longer feel her arms. Ren and Kyouko had to hold her up. She waited breathlessly as the principal stepped to the podium.

"I want to applaud each and every student who participated here today. I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that the parents and faculty members must all be as proud of you all as I am. You are all winners as far as we are concerned. But, as you know, the standards are high. That is why an award recipient should be viewed as an athlete among athletes, a source of great pride for the entire school. First, I ask you to cheer our valiant athletes."

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and Kaname felt some of her strength coming back.

"Now, for the moment you have been waiting for. Once again, just like last year, Jindai High School has placed a student athlete on the national list."

Cheers rang out. Kaname tried to fight back a smile. Did the principal mean to say 'exactly like last year'?

She had won the award the year before.

The room quieted. Everyone anxiously awaited the name of the boy or girl who had brought the school honor.

"This year's recipient is Sousuke Sagara. Congratulations, Mr. Sagara."

The crowd was loud and boisterous, chanting their new hero's name, last year's hero long forgotten.

Kaname didn't hear a sound except the rush of blood in her ears.

She mouthed Sousuke's name.


	2. Next chapter

The cafeteria had the usual buzz of lunch time conversations.

But, today, a large group of boys sat listening rather than jawing.

"Yes Shinji, many of Sun-tzu's theories of war have been incorporated into military forces throughout the years. The United States Marine Corps is one notable example. While it may not be written about in your Arm Slave journals, many of the pearls of military wisdom hold true for A.S. encounters as well."

Sousuke was munching on protein bars.

Shinji and a number of other boys had prompted him to speak more about Sun-tzu and his treatise on warfare.

"It may be that Sun-tzu truly existed, and that much of the work was written by one man during that early feudal period. It is quite possible that there were more than one anonymous author involved, their names lost amongst the sands of time. Regardless, the results are nothing short of revelatory."

"Please, Sousuke. Tell us more. This is really great stuff." Shinji looked as if he was ready to explode. His food was untouched…… at least by him.

The other boys were whittling his lunch down bit by bit.

"Yeh."

"C'mon."

"Don't leave us hangin', man!"

The crowd was rather eager.

The crowd of boys, that is.

"Shhhhhh. Not so loud guys. That table of…… concubines…… is giving us the Evil Eye." Everyone laughed at that boy's statement, sneaking glances at the nearby girls' table.

"It is not a problem. I will speak loudly enough so that they may be enlightened as well." Sousuke did not think that the boys should be the only ones to benefit from history. "War was considered the greatest affair of state at the time. Conflict was thought to be unavoidable, inherent to the human condition. The highest realization of warfare was to attack the enemy's plans. The next best approach was to attack their alliances. After that, the next best approach was to attack their forces. The final option was to attack their fortifications. This is yet another one of the truths that can be carried over to the business world of today." Sousuke paused, taking a moment to survey the room, finishing with his gaze on Kaname.

Kaname noticed his look and flashed him an obscene gesture.

'Have I done something to anger her?' Sousuke asked himself, before continuing.

"Victorious armies…… or businesses…… realize the conditions for victory first, then fight. Vanquished enemies fight first, then start looking for a way to attain victory."

'It seems that I am often victorious in protecting her.' He thought. 'But, I am vanquished in my efforts to make her feel safe. She always seems to be so unhappy when I am around. Perhaps it is merely her way of expressing her concerns about being Whispered.'

The conversation continued, with Sousuke talking about various aspects of The Art Of War. Shinji and the other boys kept looking for modern day parallels.

"Another concept was written about in many terms: Force of circumstances……. Positional advantage……. Tactical power…… Latent energy." The young soldier's voice carried across the cafeteria. "I should illustrate by means of analogy." He stood up, engrossed in his mini-lecture.

"A log or stone perched atop a hill may be temporarily stabilized, but it retains great potential energy. The larger the log, the greater that potential. A clever commander learns how to release that strategic power, waiting until he can best exploit advantages of terrain…… numbers…… firepower…… morale…… or superior provisions."

Sousuke's lesson was not lost on Kaname.

Just the same, Sousuke was the last person she had wanted to hear over lunch. And that otaku nonsense was the last stuff she wanted to hear.

She was growing more angry by the minute, listening to him speak about Sun-tzu. That name alone infuriated her. And that moronic military misfit was gaining more and more admiration for his stupid useless knowledge.

Wasn't it enough that he had gotten an A+ grade? Couldn't he just be humble and enjoy the thrill of victory after his athletic coup? Did he have to continue to rub things in this way?

"Kaname, are you OK?" Kyouko sounded concerned. "Don't you like the food?"

Kyouko and Ren had independently hit upon the same idea. They had been tired of studying, and had spent the night cooking up everybody's favorites. They each had thought that it would be a nice way to celebrate the end of midterms. Kyouko had initially intended Kaname's preferred dishes to serve as a reward for her renewed success in the athletic arena, but wisely kept her thoughts to herself.

"Ky?" She broke away from her musings about Sousuke and his obvious attempts to show her up. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was preoccupied. Mmmph mmmphfff mmmmmm. This is all delicious." Kaname's response made Kyouko's face light up like a beautiful sunrise.

Kaname would wolf down as much as she could, even though she really wasn't hungry. She owed it to her friends. She needed to look as if she were enjoying the superior provisions, in order to keep up morale.

'Damn. Now he has me thinking in stupid otaku terms.'

"Kaname, slow down, give yourself a chance to come up for air. Besides, you know that stuff will go straight to your thighs!" Ren and the other girls laughed. It was true after a fashion, but none of them could resist the delicious treats.

Sousuke had been discussing the concept of 'orthodox' and 'unorthodox' attacks. He had warned his listeners to never rely upon the good will of others in battle, or to put too much faith in the occurrence of fortuitous circumstances.

He finished one train of though by saying "Know the enemy...and know yourself...and you will not be endangered."

As always, he still managed to keep one ear tuned to the conversation surrounding Kaname. Ren's statement had triggered a memory. There was something he could do to protect Kaname's reputation and chance at future happiness.

He must act now, before the moment passed.

The girls all went dead quiet when Sousuke approached their table. Kaname's face began to purple. Kyouko quickly reached for her camera.

"Kaname, it is necessary that I warn you of a danger." Sousuke sounded very serious. Then again, he always sounded serious.

The girls now looked on eagerly. They knew all too well about Sousuke's perceptions of 'danger.' Not wanting to appear too eager themselves, the other boys nonetheless stopped their conversation and listened.

"I overheard a number of boys discussing you the other day. One said that you had a nice body, but that he would never want to date you because you were such an idol."

A muffled sound came from the boys' table. Shinji had his hands over two boys' mouths, trying to contain their chuckling.

"Another boy said your body was 'OK,' but he would never date you because your thighs were so 'chunky'."

Ren began choking on something she swallowed.

"So, if that food will go right to your thighs, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not recommend that you avoid such food. Here, I will gladly share this with you." He held out a protein bar.

It was a matter of timing. What would explode first…… Kaname's temper…… the boys' laughter…… or, the girls' usual discussion of just how dumb boys are?

Kaname stood up and walked right up to Sousuke. "SOUSUKE.…..YOU…...YOU..." She shocked everybody by putting the halisen down and taking a moment to smooth out her school uniform.

She must really be exhausted.

"Sousuke, let me take this opportunity to poke a hole in all that Sun-tzu nonsense you have been spouting. You know yourself. And you know the enemy…… me. And you are still very much in danger."

Ever so slowly, she walked over to the table, picked up a tray of food in each hand, and walked back to Sousuke. She lifted the objects in question over Sousuke's head, turned them over, and let them fall, covering him with food.

She remembered her manners. "Thank you Ky. Thank you Ren. It's all perfect." Suddenly, she felt a whole lot better.

Sousuke, covered with a wide variety of foods, turned back to his table, seeing an opportunity to drive a point home. "You will notice, the suspended trays of food contained significant tactical power."

"AHHHHH…… BAKA…… OTAKU…." Kaname grabbed her halisen and went beserk. "Concubines! Meat lockers! Reputations! Bleach! Latent energy! Gym class! Groceries! A bolo! Danger! Snow balls! The Principal! Student athlete. Chunky thighs!"

Each word saw the paper fan rock Sousuke's head back on his neck. The onlookers fully expected his head to coming flying off of his body. They winced with the sound of each blow.

On one wind-up, Kaname slipped on some spilled food. She grabbed for the table to keep from falling. She succeeded in getting a firm grip on the table cloth, pulling the remaining food on top of her as she went down hard.

Sousuke should have been quiet.

Better yet, he should have shown off his athletic ability and run.

Instead, he saw yet another opportunity for enlightenment.

"You will notice the effect of terrain upon battle." He pointed to the food-covered floor at Kaname's feet. "Sun-tzu described nine terrains…… dispersive terrain…... light terrain.….. contentious terrain.….. traversable terrain.….. focal terrain.….. heavy terrain.….. entrapping terrain.….. encircled terrain.….. and fatal terrain. When feudal lords fought in their own territory, it was dispersive terrain. When they entered someone else's territory, but not deeply, it..."

"Let's skip ahead to fatal terrain, Sousuke." Kaname, said, dripping with both food and venom, halisen ready.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

When it rains, it pours.

Sousuke and his group of followers had left in a rush. The other boys were intent on dragging their battered companion to safety. Kaname was the only one left covered with food when the Principal responded to word of a raucous squabble.

"It seems that you have failed to heed my words yet another time, Miss Chidori. Your star is falling at a most prodigious rate. I am at a total loss of what to do to correct your behavior. Perhaps if you were banned from competing at sports for half of a semester..."

The man's ruddy face was filled with contempt and disappointment.

"B-B-But..." Kaname was flabbergasted. Busted. Again! Just what had she done that angered the Fates this much? It wasn't the correct tact at that moment, but her thirst for justice overwhelmed her common sense.

"Sir. I apologize. But, it was that maniac Sousuke who's responsible for all this. I was just caught in the middle, and have been trying to clean things up while he runs away from his responsibility." The other girls all nodded their heads and added words of support, but their actions were to no avail.

"I see. Mr. Sagara is at fault. A very convenient story, given his past indiscretions. I had thought better of you, Miss Chidori." He looked at Kaname's friends, his eyes glowering. They were now marked by the same brush.

"I'll tell you what I really see. I see last year's student athlete dethroned. I see her trying to smear the name of the young man who has taken her crown. To try and drag such a credit to this school down into the muck with you is despicable." He turned and walked away. Then he stopped, shrugged his shoulders, and let out a long sigh.

"I should step in and put an end to the opportunity, but I would be exceeding my authority. The Vice Principal is showing the Superintendent of Kadena High School around our facilities, sitting in with him during some classes. It was by God's grace alone that he did not sit in on any of your classes today." The exasperated man turned his eyes Heavenward.

"He had come here looking to set up an exchange program, a way of sharing ideas and improving the educational resources of both of our schools. We will be sending one of our students to Okinawa for a month. The teachers had selected your name.….. last week. He's expecting to meet with you in fifteen minutes." The Principal actually started laughing, though tears rolled down from his eyes.

He put his hand to his forehead.

"I suggest you get yourself cleaned up as best you can." He left the room muttering to himself.

Kaname and the other girls made a dash for the girls' locker room. While Kaname took a shower, the others did their very best to clean up her uniform as best they could. While her clothes still looked as if they were used to wipe out the inside of a garbage can, things were much improved. "Thanks guys!" She checked her watch.

Almost time.

"Gotta run!"

The meeting went very well. The Vice Principal asked Kaname to escort the esteemed visitor back to the Principal's office when they were finished. On the way, the Superintendent started off by saying how much admiration he had for Kaname, after watching her gutsy performance in the gymnasium.

"I understand that you were injured prior to that contest, Miss Chidori. Still, you gave it your all. That's exactly the type of spirit I would like to see our students adopt." Kaname blushed, basking in the praise.

They discussed the idea of the exchange program, touching on Kaname's ideas and suggestions. "It would be a dream come true, Sir. It would be a terrific opportunity to participate in such a fine endeavor."

Yes, and there would be absolutely no way for Sousuke to explain his being in Okinawa. She'd be free.

The thought filled her with great anticipation.

The Superintendent was a rogue at heart. He saw a wonderful chance to tease Kaname, knowing she already had her hopes set on the student exchange.

"But, the more I learn about you, Miss Chidori, the more I wonder if I would be doing Jindai High a disservice, taking away such a fine example for the other young men and women." He managed to keep a smile off of his face. "I do not know if I should choose you for this honor. Should I let you go?"

Kaname was so anxious, she actually raised her voice in return.

"Let me go. Oh, Let me go. PLEASE………. LET… ME… GO! Oooooh"

At his distance, Sousuke could not tell that Kaname was smiling and laughing. He had no idea who the man was, and had not caught any of the conversation. All he heard was 'LET… ME… GO! Oooooh.'

From his angle, the man was partially blocking his view of Kaname. His reflexes kicked in, propelling his body into action. He flew down the hallway like a bolt fired out of a crossbow.

He leaped, targeting the back of the 'assailant'.

Sousuke and the Superintendent hit the ground, hard. The young Mithril sergeant reacted quickly, not wanting to cause a scene out in the open. Pulling one of the man's arms behind his back, his other hand grasping the scruff of his opponent's neck, Sousuke bull-rushed the startled school official into the confines of the Boys' rest room.

"Wh-h-h..." was all that the Superintendent had time to say before his words morphed into "grggle grggle grggle grrrrrrrr." Sousuke was stuffing the suspected evil-doer's head into the nearest toilet.

'NO. I can't believe this. NO. Why me. Why. Why-y-y-y…" Kaname was stunned, but only for a moment. There might still be a chance. She could save the Superintendent. She could rescue her golden opportunity.

She would make Sousuke pay!

Kaname took a step into the Boy's room. It made her skin creep. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The sight of Sousuke trying to flush the other man's head broke the spell.

She charged, only to see the unexpected happen.

The Superintendent had done something with his arm and something else with his foot that had been too fast to follow. His hair shedding torrents of water, he whirled and threw Sousuke against a rest room stall.

Kaname felt like cheering.

Sousuke had been caught off guard. 'Moron,' he thought quickly to himself. 'You know you should treat every opponent as if he may be your equal, possibly even your superior.'

He was not being hard on himself. He was correct.

There was no telling what the man's intentions had been, or what he might do next.

'Let's get the upper hand.'

Sousuke's pistol rapidly appeared in his hand. He held it on the other man.

'What is Miss Chidori doing in here? Was she worried about him? Has she come to help?'

Screaming like a banshee, Kaname ran and tackled Sousuke. Yelling out every English curse word she had heard earlier that morning, she banged the startled young man's head against a urinal.

"Sousuke, you moron!"

Out of instinct, Sousuke swept his leg around, then caught Kaname in a half-nelson.

"Leave the girl alone."

The words shocked Sousuke.

The man he thought was attacking Kaname was standing up for her now? And, how could he overlook the fact that he was being brutalized by her

When Sousuke stood up, he kept his pistol by his side. The other man, water pooling at his feet, held a gun pointed at Sousuke's head. Sousuke, by reflex, chose the only words that might keep the confrontation from escalating further.

"Glock 21. Standard .45 caliber. Safe action system. Right octagonal rifling. Ten or thirteen round capacity. Three safeties. Exact 2.5kg trigger pull. Not the first choice of civilians with a .45 fetish-that would be the Glock 30 or new 'slim-line' Glock 36. You must have some military or law enforcement experience." He paused, looking the other man directly in the eyes. "I take it you are not intent on harming Miss Chidori, as I mistakenly surmised?"

The Superintendent lowered his gun ever so slightly, a way of lessening the tension.

"Yes, on all counts. I see you are equally well armed. Glock 17. Rounds 9 x 19mm. Weight 280g with fully loaded magazine. Ten, seventeen, or nineteen round capacity. Not something I would expect to see carried by a high school student. Either you are a dangerous dreamer with harmful delusions, or you are a trained bodyguard. Your actions do not suggest the former."

Kaname stood stunned.

'What is this? An otaku love-fest?'

"You are quite correct, sir. Again, my apologies. I am indeed Miss Chidori's protector, but can give no further detail than that. I must say that I am ashamed, not giving you the full respect I should have. It never pays to let one's guard down, even to the slightest degree."

Kaname gasped.

Sousuke actually bowed, like something out of an old black and white samurai flick.

"Think nothing of it. I too responded in less than optimal fashion." He laughed, squeezing the water out of his hair. "Oh…… a bit off topic…… but as the young ladies protector, you probably should remove these comments off of the wall." He waved his arm, pointing at a number of areas. "That picture cannot be anatomically correct, and I hope there is no basis for truth in any of these slurs."

"I will do as you suggest, sir. I cannot speak to the validity of the claims. Miss Chidori remains a mystery to me. Her actions are often inscrutable." Sousuke was not looking at Kaname. He could not see the warning sign.

The halisen was whipping back and forth like the tale of an adder about to strike.

"Yes, I can see why." The Superintendent tried not to laugh but failed. "Walking into the Boys' rest room facility. Tackling a fellow student. Damaging school equipment. And that language…… the last time I heard anything like that was when I was in the military, or working security duty down at the wharf." He shook his head. "I must say that this unfortunate incident has a silver lining. It saved me from making a terrible mistake. Miss Chidori is obviously not the type of student we want at our high school. How about you, young man? What's your name? Would you like to enlist in the exchange program?"

"I am Sousuke Sagara. I thank you for your kind offer. I must stand up for Miss Chidori. She is not usually quite this bad, although she has her moments. I cannot leave her side here. She is in need of my protection."

'Not quite this bad? I have my moments?Not going to leave my side?'

It was more than Kaname could take.

"SOUSUKE, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!" She swung her halisen with tremendous force, throwing Sousuke into a urinal, which promptly broke free from the wall. The cracked pipe spurted a great fountain of water onto the floor.

The Superintendent offered Sousuke a hand up. "I see. It is your task to protect her. There is one thing I do not understand, however."

"Sir?"

"Just who is going to protect you?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

It felt great to be outside again, to be leaving that school after such an unbelievable series of unfortunate events.

They students were all getting out early, thanks to the overworked heating system. It had broken down on its own, without any help whatsoever from a certain sergeant.

Kaname looked up into the sky and smiled. Large flakes continued to fall. The weather gave her the opportunity to go grocery shopping with her friends. Her bald-faced lie and Sousuke's gullible nature would grace them with a pleasant time together, without an unwanted military chaperon. All they needed to do was flag down a taxi, get in, and head on their way.

There was no way they would be trailed then.

Success. Ren managed to catch the eye of a taxi driver. The cab's blinker soon went on and it slowed, the driver waiting for a chance to cross the snow-covered street and come back in their direction.

'Bye bye, Sgt. Stupid. Bet you're going to be real frantic real soon. I just wish I could see your face.'

Kaname should have known better than to put any faith in that kind of thought.

"Uh Oh. Kaname." Kyouko pointed towards the school entrance.

It was Sousuke. How? Kaname wanted to kick herself. What was the saying?

'Be careful what you wish for...'

She had told him that the visiting Superintendent wanted to see him in the Principal's office. There should have been no way he could have gotten there and back again in time to see them getting into a taxi.

"Looks like he's got your book bag, Kaname." Ren had discovered the answer.

"Damn. I was so excited, I forgot all about it." Her thoughts pulsed with anger.

'Damn that Sousuke! Why did he have to be so damn considerate?' Kaname blinked hard.

How many times had she complained that boys were so inconsiderate?

"Kyouko, Ren, get in quick!" The cab had stopped at the curb, sending a small swell of slush and water spreading across the cleared sidewalk. The three girls got into the vehicle faster than should have been possible.

"You can relax now, Kaname." Kyouko was leaning out of the cab window, snapping pictures of a running Sousuke. "Uh oh. Maybe not."

Sousuke had not stopped at the street, defeated. He went from a determined jog to a desperate sprint. Remarkably, he hurdled two benches and a startled man with a snow shovel. He darted out into traffic, dodging cars with blaring horns and sliding across the hood of delivery van. Sending up large splashes of water, he ran down the street after the taxi, Kaname's book bag trailing obediently behind him.

"Only Sousuke," Ren said smiling. "And, as the student athlete of the year, he probably has remarkable endurance. Think we should get out and push?"

Her joke did not sit well with her blue-haired friend. The taxi was moving ahead slowly, as traffic had been slowed by the fruits of the snow storm and the large number of vehicles entering the road from the school parking lots.

"Yes! That's a good picture." Kyouko put her camera down, wiping slush off of her face. There were definitely perils attached to keeping that window down. "Sousuke just ran through a huge sheet of water kicked up by a bus. Just like a tidal wave. Oh boy. He's not slowing down." She took more pictures, giving an enthusiastic running commentary.

Kaname was tempted to throw Kyouko's camera out the car window.

Maybe Kyouko, too.

Finally, the cab picked up speed. They were going to make it. Looking out the back window, Kaname cursed. Sousuke was hanging onto the side of a glazier's vehicle, keeping pace with their taxi.

'Damn you Sousuke. What planet are you from!'

It was time to take matters into her own hands. The light ahead was beginning to change. If they could make it past this crossing, Sousuke's ride would be left trapped at the light.

"Driver. If you can get us through this light, there will be something extra in it for you." Kaname didn't stop to think about safety. It was a mistake. The intersection was much wider than Kaname had first judged it to be.

The taxi driver didn't care. There was money in it for him. It was worth the risk. He misjudged the road condition and the timing. The cab shot forward recklessly, dodging between crossing pedestrians. The car began to slide on the slick road, but the wildly spinning tires kept them moving forward.

The light had gone red.

The cab were just entering the intersection. Two motorcyclists headed straight into their path, unaware of the impending danger. A horn blew. A brake pedal was stomped on. The car slid violently to one side, fishtailing. A large truck slid, brakes locked. It caught the taxi in the side and pushed the car up against a street lamp, bending the ornate work of metal down to the ground.

"Is everybody OK?" Ren asked, concerned. She was fortunate that the damage was minor, as her side was the side of impact. That door wouldn't open, pinned against the grill of the truck. Kyouko's door wouldn't open, blocked by the mangled lamp post.

"I'm a little shaken up, but otherwise alright" Kyouko said in a shaky voice. Still, her flash kept going off. She was busy.

It wasn't too often that something like this happened.

"Kaname?" Ren asked, getting no answer from her friend.

"I'm not the least bit OK." She wasn't injured. She was just counting the seconds. Sousuke would be there any moment now. Hopefully he wouldn't physically chastise the driver.

All three girls jumped when a loud noise sounded right behind them. A crack appeared in the foggy rear window. Then, another loud noise and more cracks. Soon, the window was breaking inward, the safety glass keeping the startled girls from being covered with deadly shards.

"Don't worry Kaname. I will have you out in no time."

It was Sousuke.

When they were all standing on the sidewalk, the blue and red of flashing police car lights painting their clothing with bizarre shapes, Sousuke admonished Kaname. "Miss Chidori, what were you thinking. Taxi drivers are notorious. To risk your life in a cab on a snowy day was much too reckless."

'As if vaulting things, running into traffic, and riding on the side of a truck was not?' Kaname thought angrily.

"And, you left your book bag back at school," Sousuke added. He handed her the bag. A large amount of water poured out of it, running down her stockings.

Ren politely covered her mouth with her hand. Kyouko did her thing.

"SOUSUKE!"

Pushed backward with all of Kaname's strength, the young sergeant fell back into the street and slid halfway down a busy storm drain.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

Kaname had an exceedingly bitter taste in her mouth.

Her hopes had gone down like a submarine with screen doors. Both Ren and Kyouko were shaken from the accident, and did not want to go shopping. They had each headed home when they received medical clearance.

It would have been bad enough to go shopping alone, frozen to the bone by the swirling ice-laden wind. Her soggy book bag didn't dampen her spirits as much as the person doggedly following on her heels.

'Sousuke.'

Well maybe she could at least convince him to carry her grocery bags home for her.

'After all, I should get something out of all this!'

She was feeling overly pessimistic, though. Just what was going to happen next?

"Chin up, Kaname. You're bigger than all this. Some day you'll look back on it and laugh." She had spoken out loud, but the words had no power over her. Looking back over her day, she had to fight the urge to cry.

"Kaname, are you feeling alright? Are you talking to yourself? Did you hit your head during that accident?" Sousuke had quickened his pace and now walked side by side with her. "If you give me your grocery list, I will do your shopping for you, and you can visit the Emergency Room for a thorough examination."

The offer was certainly tempting. Her shopping would be done for her. And, she would go home and take a nice warm bubble bath instead of actually seeking medical attention.

'What am I thinking? What about the last time?'

She had once given Sousuke a small shopping list and a large denomination of paper money, asking him to return the change. He had handed her ten sacks of materials and two small coins. Yes, he had faithfully collected every item on the list.

But, he had then went on to improvise.

Her cupboards were still crammed full of household items that could be used to manufacture explosives, napalm, anesthetic gas, a blow-gun and darts, powder for picking up fingerprints, smoke bombs, dog repellant, and homemade caltrops.

He had bought ten different brands of hair color…… three shades apiece…… in case she felt a need to disguise herself.

In addition, the young soldier had bought the store's entire supply of designer MREs, expensive novelties for the impressionable shopper…… they would actually prove useful, he claimed, if she had to survive a siege in her apartment room, or if they had to make an escape deep into the forest.

She had almost gagged when tasting one.

No. She would do her own shopping. Most definitely.

"Miss Chidori, are we going in?" Sousuke had been standing out in the cold for ten minutes with Kaname. She had to force herself to go inside. It was the same store she and Sousuke had spent the night in.

"Are you suffering from neurological symptoms?" He shined a bright penlight into her eyes, watching for her pupillary response.

"Get that damn thing out of my face, Sousuke." She grabbed for the light, which Sousuke held high over his head. Jumping for it, she knocked Sousuke down, sprawling on top of him in a very suggestive position. At that moment, Miss Akiyama walked out of the store, spying the two youths struggling to get up.

"Oh my! Out here in the street, in front of a crowded store? What is the world coming to?"

The elderly woman was about to leave when Kaname looked to see who had spoken. The voice had been very familiar.

"Miss Chidori?" The woman put her hand to her mouth, shocked. "I didn't want to believe Mr. Nokibasu! Oh my my my my my..." She walked off shaking her head, scandalized.

"No, wait, let me explain." It was too late, Miss Akiyama had disappeared into the crowd. "SOUSUKE!" Grabbing the young Mithril agent by the head, she flung him into the store with all her strength.

There was a loud crashing sound. Soon thereafter, a message came out over the intercom system:

"CLEAN-UP IN AISLE EIGHT."

Sousuke lay buried underneath a six foot pile of laundry detergent boxes, many of which had burst open at the seams, coating him with fragrant white granules. Kaname stopped momentarily to look down at him, hands on his hips.

"HMMPPFF! I just can't take you anywhere, can I?" She smiled.

Having escaped the boxes and brushed off the detergent, Sousuke made an attempt to catch up with Kaname. Seeing him coming, she had took off at a run, pushing her shopping cart in front of her.

She saw the 'CAUTION: Wet Floor' sign too late.

Her feet went out from under her. Her cart rolled on its own, going on to bump into an old man, knocking him into the lobster pool. Kicking his feet frantically, a large crustacean painfully attached to his nose, the submerged gentleman knocked over a large stand of seafood spices and cocktail sauce.

Kaname's momentum carried her into a store representative handing out small skewers of spiced chicken. Stumbling, the man stuck a skewer into the ample buttock of a rather large woman, causing her to holler like a stricken cow and jump in the air. When she landed, she collapsed a series of large wooden shelves, sending rows of glass soda bottle tumbling like dominoes. The resultant sound was remarkable. Another message came over the intercom:

"CLEAN-UP IN AISLES TWO, THREE, FOUR, SIX, AND SEVEN."

Sousuke reached down his hand to help pick Kaname off the ground.

"Are you alright, Kaname? It's a good thing that you were not involved in that tragedy over there." He pointed to where three store employees and the store manager were helping the rotund woman back on her feet. "They would probably ask you to leave the store if you did something like that."

Kaname pressed her hand firmly over Sousuke's mouth. "I'm in a hurry, Sousuke. Get my cart for me." She sped around a corner, heading up an intact aisle. She chuckled wickedly.

Her cart was no doubt associated with that spectacular accident by now. If Sousuke retrieved it, perhaps he'd be thrown out into the street. There would be a pleasant symmetry to that.

Sousuke took the time to help the man out of the lobster pen. Deftly and painlessly, he removed the determined crustacean. The man was very thankful, and happily gave his rescuer a sizeable tip for his services.

The assistant store manager was also very thankful, commenting on how rare it was to see someone actually trying to make a positive difference in the world. He gave Sousuke a large book of double coupons, usually reserved for people belonging to an exclusive store membership program.

"I certainly wish we had more people like you coming into our store."

Sousuke felt a warm glow of satisfaction.

'It figures. Only Sousuke could luck out like that.'

Kaname fought to keep from exploding when Sousuke caught up with her and described his good fortune. Trying to find something sarcastic to say, she heard an ominous sound.

It was a gunshot.

A man's voice called out, loud. Turning, Kaname saw four masked men at the checkout counter, each holding a sack. One man had a cudgel. Two had knives. The fourth held a pistol to a cashier's head.

"Listen up shoppers. We have a special on Aisle Three." He snapped his fingers, sending his cohorts towards that very Aisle. "The three fine men you see, members of a charitable organization, will be accepting your generous offerings. Please place your purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, and any other valuables into the bags they are carrying."

He fired his silenced pistol again, stopping the frightened babbling of the crowd.

"Accidents will happen if anyone tries to escape, make a call on a cell phone, or resist the friendly collections agents. The young lady up here will also regrettable miss the remainder of her life."

Before she knew what was happening, Kaname found herself knocked to the ground by Sousuke, who then rolled her under a large rickety wooden salad bar. "Stay hidden, Miss Chidori. No one saw what I did. You should be safe down there."

Kaname thought about yelling out, telling Sousuke to refrain from doing any crazy otaku stunts. It would only give away her position. She knew that her companion would do what he was going to do with or without any words from her.

'Ring a bell in front of Pavlov's dog, and the damn pooch drools all over the carpet. Fire off a gun in front of Sousuke, and all Hell breaks loose.'

She sighed, resigned to her fate.

Something sitting in one of many small beams of light leaking through the cracks in the stand caught her attention. She picked it up. "A lottery ticket" she said quietly to herself.

She couldn't bother thinking about her discovery now. This was serious. Sousuke was no doubt going to place himself in serious jeopardy. She bit her fingernails. "Sousuke! Be careful" she whispered.

Sousuke had slid on the ground, gaining access to an area inside one large shelfing unit, separating Aisle Three from Aisle Four. He found a broken broom handle. He took out his knife, stuck it into the wood, and split the handle in two lengthwise.

'Good. Now it will fit through the slots.'

Feeling the building rush of adrenalin, he walked to the end of the shelves, peering out at the criminals. One man had his neck close to one of the unused shelving slots. With a fierce thrust, Souske rammed the wooden shaft hard against the back of the unsuspecting man's neck at the base of his skull, his action unseen.

The man came crashing to the ground, his vertebrae fractured and his spinal cord contused.

Patiently, Sousuke waited for his next opportunity. It was not long in coming. One of the remaining two thugs bent over to examine his fallen comrade, wondering if he had fainted. He took a sharp end of the stick deep into his eye, causing him to fall back with a scream of pain.

He was effectively out of action.

The remaining hulk, hired for his strength and intimidating size, did not know what to do. He kept knocking boxes and bottle off of the shelves, yelling "Gremlins!" Putting the stick down quietly, Sousuke rolled back out into the light, intent on his next target.

The intercom came to life again:

"CLEAN-UP ON AISLE THREE."

"What the hell is going on over there? Kappei... Shuichi... Hideyuki... answer me!"The ringleader was obviously very frustrated and extremely worried.

Things would get worse for him soon enough.

Sousuke walked very slowly towards the man, one of the bills he had received as a tip held out in his hand. "Excuse me sir, can you make change of this. I really need change for the soda machine."

"What? What! Are you some kind of moron?" The man couldn't believe his eyes.

Underneath the salad bar, Kaname muttered "Yes."

Sousuke kept walking, and the man rammed the gun into the cashier's mouth. "Do I look like a cashier, boy? I sure as shit don't need a gun to count out money. One more step, and I blow her head off. Then I shoot you." The man was sweating.

Things were spiraling way out of control.

"Oh, I see. If you take the gun out of her mouth, maybe she can make change for me." Sousuke continued his slow advance. "You can watch, to make sure she doesn't cheat me."

"Stop! Don't come any closer. I am not kidding, you imbecile." The man now had his pistol aimed at Sousuke's head. Overly anxious, he thought of another solution, a way to remove the unwanted irritant.

"Here. To shut you up, I'll give you plenty of change." He bent over, to grab a handful of coins out of the cash register.

Distracted, he did not see the blur of the bolo.

The toss was on target. The pistol bounced across the floor, disappearing under one of the other counters. Shocked, the man saw Sousuke move to cut off his escape route. Knowing about the back door, he jumped from counter to counter, rushing off into the store. Sousuke was soon in hot pursuit.

Cans of crab meat do not come with a label that read 'WARNING: exceedingly harmful if used as a projectile.'

Perhaps they should.

Sousuke grabbed a handful of cans, noting briefly that the prices were very good. He'd have to tell Melissa about this store. With admirable accuracy, he bounced one can hard off the back of the head of the fleeing robber.

The man stumbled, crashing with his full weight atop the salad bar, collapsing the structure, raining assorted puddings, fruits, syrupy juice, and condiments down on a startled Kaname.

"CLEAN-UP ON AISLE FOUR."

Before helping Kaname out from under her ruined hiding place, Sousuke gave the slowly rising man a flying elbow to the head, putting him down for the count.

"Well, Kaname. At least you can finish your shopping now and head home." After that, Sousuke tracked down and made short work of the remaining thug.

The overhead speaker crackled to life again:

"ATTENTION CUSTOMERS. DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE STORE WILL NOW CLOSE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CARTS AND BASKETS WHERE THEY ARE. STORE PERSONNEL WILL RETURN ITEMS TO THE SHELVES AFTER THE POLICE ARRIVE AND REMOVE THE CRIMINALS. PLEASE EXIT THE STORE IN ORDERLY FASHION"

Kaname did not say a word. Sousuke thought that she must be furious, or terribly frustrated. She wasn't. Walking over to the store lottery desk, she looked for this weeks winning number.

4... 6... 11... 23... 32... 36.

She then breathlessly checked her ticket.

4... 6... 11... 23... 32... 36.

She hurried out of the store, a firm grip on her wonderful prize. There was no longer a need to worry about groceries. When she cashed in that ticket, she could buy the store. Her heart beating ever so fast, she was oblivious to Sousuke as he tailed her home.

'This has been such a wonderful day.'

She really should have known better.


	3. Final chapter

It was remarkable, the difference a small piece of colored paper could make.

The subject might have proven rather enlightening for Buddhist monks of old. It might have convinced many an ancient Greek philosopher to ponder something other than hemlock draughts. Indeed, it might even have prompted spirited arguments between arrogant Freudians and upstart Jungians.

Sousuke-neither a holy man, nor a philosopher or psychologist-was royally puzzled.

'What has gotten into Kaname? Is she well? I must keep a close watch on her actions and decision making.'

Kaname moved through the harsh and unforgiving world surrounded by a veritable nimbus of tranquility and good fortune. A knight of the Round Table, the Grail in his hand, could not have been any more satisfied than Kaname.

Ponce De Leon, bathing in the fountain of youth, would have looked upon her with envy.

As long as she held that lottery ticket, what did she have to be unhappy about?

'You know, in this light, Sousuke looks kind of handsome.' She thought. 'It's certainly nice to have a bodyguard now.'

There was a certain sprightliness to her step. Her shoulders were thrown back and her chin lifted. Nothing registered on her vision that was not straight ahead and in the direction she was headed.

Suddenly, with no advance warning whatsoever, she was struck on the side of her head and body by a large shovel full of dripping wet snow. She continued on her way, never missing a beat. It was doubtful that she took any notice of Sousuke's flying kick.

The punishment was intended to teach manners to the sorrowful perpetrator.

Kaname had a feeling of good will for everyone and everything that she passed by. When a dog savagely took hold of her favorite skirt in its teeth and tore a large gaping hole, she was totally oblivious.

She took no notice when Sousuke grabbed the hapless hound by the hind legs and flung it far away.

She was not watching when it landed with a yelp and a solid Thump in the back of a speeding pickup truck.

The sounds of the streets and the invigorating feel of the chill air continued to excite her, even when a wildly swerving carload of drunken college students purposefully drove close to the curb, sending the frigid contents of a deep and broad swath of water hurling towards her.

She paid no attention to the loud beeping of the horn or the rude and raucous laughter. If someone had asked her if she saw that sedan careen out of control, bounce off of parked cars, and slam into a police cruiser on the other side of the street, she would have told them "no."

Likewise, she didn't see Sousuke run out and covertly retrieve his combat knife from the front tire.

Sirens and the loud calls of air horns grew louder as they continued on their slow walk down the street. Turning one corner, Sousuke was alarmed to see smoke and occasional huge tongues curling out from the windows of a small housing unit. The sidewalks were open on one side of the street, but the road and opposite walkway were cordoned off by cones and large metal signs.

Kaname did not flinch once when she strolled through the cold spray from the hoses, drenched by the windblown water. She had the same dreamy look on her face when Sousuke ran out of the stricken building with a bundled infant in his hand as she had did when he had broken free of the grasp of a fireman and rushed into the roaring inferno with his a wet jacket over his head.

Singing quietly to herself, she felt no anger or unhappiness as her mind recalled the events of the day:

Covered with snow, her books scattered on the frigid ground, she flung Sousuke into the Principal, sending the two of them sliding in the snow and mud.

No problem.

Embarrassed and ridiculed in English class, she was blamed for Sousuke's overly exaggerated defense of her honor.

It was sweet that he cared.

Added to the periodic table as yet another example of an unstable element, and doomed by her mishandling of the bleach, she had been great entertainment for the students in Chemistry.

Laughter is a wonderful thing.

Sousuke's volunteering of her in World History had led to her receipt of a temporary 'Failure' grade and earned her a sore and painful right arm.

It was her fault. She should have done her work earlier.

Struggling painfully through the athletic challenge, only to miss the grade and watch as Sousuke grabbed the honor in her place.

She really should have congratulated him. It was a magnificent achievement.

Watching her hopes for an exciting opportunity in Okinawa wash away as her guardian tried to flush the visiting Superintendent's head down the crapper.

She needed to look on the bright side! She would have missed Kyouko, Ren, and her other friends terribly.

And so forth, and so on.

With her darling ticket in hand, what did any of that matter?

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname stopped when one thought finally managed to worm its way past her numbing aura of bliss:

'I'm thirsty. Really thirsty.'

As luck would have it, she and Sousuke were very close to a small roadside pagoda that was barely able to shelter a number of vending machines from the horrendous weather. One of the machines dispensed cans of hot, warm, and chilled coffee.

She would get one of each, the hot one last.

It could have been due to the cold outdoor temperature. It may have been the result of faulty equipment maintenance. Or, it may just have been an unfortunate random event. Whatever the cause, Kaname's first can of coffee jammed on its way out. Hoping to jar it loose, she put in more money and sent two more cans on their way.

They were stuck too.

Momentarily, the ticket was forgotten.

"Damn machine. You have my money. You have my coffee"

She became angry.……. irate.……. and then furious. Despite obvious diagrams and wording that warned customers not to tip the machine…….. at risk of great bodily harm…….. Kaname began rocking the device back and forth vigorously.

Sousuke's firm grip on her wrist stopped her.

"I am very concerned about your behavior, Kaname. Your reactions during your walk here were uncharacteristic, to put it mildly. Your disregard of clearly marked prohibitions at the expense of your own safety frightens me."

He took his pistol out of his pocket.

"Above all else, Miss Chidori, you should pay strictest attention to safety. Your actions must not exceed the boundaries of physics and common sense." He fired four shots into the recalcitrant vending apparatus.

The echoes of four gunshots was neatly contrasted by three successive 'clunks', as a trio of tardy coffee cans rolled down into the receiver. Initially stunned, Kaname shook her head as she walked over to collect her purchase. Just as she was bending over, four high pressure jets of coffee shot out of the machine, drenching her from hair down to shoes with java.

"SOUSUKE!"

"Do not be concerned, Kaname. That last bit of coffee is lagnape. You do not have to pay for that."

After she made certain that her ticket was safe, Kaname ran after Sousuke, pelting him with the cans of coffee.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The smell of coffee was strong.

But, Kaname wasn't too worried. She could put up with that for the relatively short walk that remained…… just as Sousuke would survive his limp and sore coccyx.

The young soldier was following too closely again. He ran into her when she abruptly stopped, staring at a small store she had never given a second thought before. The clothing in the window was spectacular. It was also very expensive. No, strike that. It was v-e-r-y expensive. There was no way that she could ever afford to breath the air in that boutique, much less buy anything more than one of the complimentary breath mints.

'That is, until today.'

She looked at her ticket. Why should it be any different than her credit card?

'Buy something today, pay for it later.'

"Sousuke. Can I trust you to behave?" Kaname felt stupid just asking that question. "I am going into that shop over there, and will be trying on clothing. It may take a while. If you do not feel capable of waiting patiently and behaving in a civilized manner, you will have to wait outside!" Tossing her coffee-encrusted hair, she grimaced when it stuck in place.

'It might be embarrassing to walk in looking like this, but they would shower her with praise and attention soon enough, when they realized just how much she was willing to spend.'

A lovely sounding bell rang as the door to the shop opened. The first thing Kaname saw was a well-dressed matronly woman holding a measuring tape and a full pincushion. "May I see evidence of a viable line of credit please, young...uh...lady?"

That made Kaname bristle. '

What does she think I am, some bum off the street? I have a winning lottery ticket!'

Putting on a fake smile, she handed over her Platinum Card. It was something she rarely used-it was never pleasant to listen to her father gripe and expostulate over each and every item on the credit report.

Kaname's thermostat was turned up a couple of notches when Sousuke walked in.

"Oh my, what a handsome young man. Such dashing good looks. And that mysterious scar, how perfectly enchanting. You must be quite a heartbreaker, Sir!" The woman rushed over to take Sousuke's coat, stepping on Kaname's foot in the process.

"I only wish my niece were working here tonight." She thought a moment. Ringing a bell, she spoke quietly to the small wizened man who answered her summons. "Give Minuzke a call. If she's home, let her know that she might want to come over and fit a fine young man."

The woman threw Kaname's credit card over her shoulder without looking. Reaching up to grab it, Kaname knocked an expensive fur coat off of a hanger. All noise in the store ceased.

One attendant looked as if she were about to pass out.

Again, without turning around, the woman acted. She snapped her fingers. The attendant ran over and brushed off the coat, putting it back from whence it came. "That item will now have to be put on sale. If she wishes to stay, the young lady will have to make up the difference, or purchase it at full cost."

She actually tittered after that, turning to Sousuke. "You have me flustered, young man. I don't know what's come over me. I'm never that forgiving."

It took every bit of Kaname's will power to keep from knocking everything off of the racks and running out into the street laughing like a manic. It went against every fiber of her being, but she paid the penalty and continued shopping.

"Uh, Madame..." Sousuke blushed and stammered, feeling very uncomfortable.

The store owner ran her hands all over Sousuke's chest and arms. "You do not need to be so formal, young man. Call me Yukina. You are extremely muscular and well-defined. I know just what lines will suit you. May I be so bold as to ask your name?"

"Uh. It's Sagara. Sousuke Sagara. But I'm only here..."

"Let me collect a few items, then I'll take you back to be fitted." She held a small fan in the air, opening it once and then closing it. Seeing the signal, all the stock girls dropped their inventory books and ran for the back room giggling.

Along the way, they tapped the shoulders of a receptionist and a woman serving trays of sweets-an invitation to join the burgeoning exodus. Kaname started to walk in the same direction, quite certain she knew just what was going on. Peepholes. She'd put a stop to that.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but customers are not allowed back there." It was the wizened old man. He wheezed like a leaky set of bellows as he labored under the weight of a large roll of fancy suit fabric.

"Feel free to serve yourself a pastry or crab puff if you like. They are over there." As he turned, he clouted Kaname across the back with his burden, knocking her onto a table of scarves and fancy gloves. The lovely antique tipped onto its side and spilled the perfectly placed items onto the floor.

"There is a chance that someone will see to you before the shop closes. Please try to be more careful." The man's voice came out in a slow languid drawl.

A breathless and coatless young woman ran into the store, a pair of shoes held in her hands. Her bare feet were bright red. "Aunt Yukina, I'm here! Where are you?" She took one glance at Kaname and the nearby mess…… sneered…… and disappeared through a curtain-like door.

Kaname heard Sousuke raise his voice, an octave or two higher than usual. "But, I am only here to..."

Yukina's voice grew louder as she headed back to the main room. "I hate to miss anything, but I must see to a mishap out front."

Seeing Kaname, and watching her place items back on the table, the older woman spoke in a cold and dismissive voice. "Still here, I see. You must not have checked any of the prices yet. I do not have the time to berate you, so I will simply say that if you replace everything exactly, you shall owe nothing further." With that, she disappeared again.

"No Minuzke, he can keep his undergarment on. There is no need to measure that."

Hearing those words, Kaname came very close to rushing the back room.

'Just what do they think they are doing?'

No.

'WHAT DOES SOUSUKE THINK HE'S DOING!'

"I've never seen a man blush so much before. It's so sexy."

"He's so dreamy..."

"Shouldn't we actually take his measurements?"

"Whatever for?"

By the time Sousuke emerged, surrounded by a chatting crowd of women, Kaname had selected a number of items to try on. She asked one of the younger women which of the dressing rooms she could use.

"Oh. I am very sorry, but you cannot go in unattended. Someone will be there to help you soon, I'm certain. I would gladly be of assistance, but I don't want to miss the drawing." With that, she ran off.

The woman joined a growing circle of girls, each of whom had picked a straw out of a deep canister, and were now comparing the length against the others.

A happy scream marked the winning girl.

The victor grabbed Sousuke by the hand and dragged him towards a dressing room, while each of the dejected losers carried a set of clothing in the direction the fitter and fittee had headed.

Kaname was about to leave the shop.

"You can stay here for all I care Sousuke. HMMPPFF" She spoke under her voice.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance" the old man offered, a wicked look in his eye. "I have helped many a young beauty undress."

"N-N-No Th-Th-Thank you" Kaname stammered, a look of distate clearly evident on her face.

'Dirty old creep!'

Seeing the look on Kaname's face, the old man shrugged, sighed, and purposely knocked a fancy vase full of flowers onto the floor at Kaname's feet.

Like a shark attracted to blood, Yukina quickly materialized. "It seems I must find someone to help you, if I wish to keep my store intact. I hope you credit card has a high limit." Her voice oozed with contempt. "I do wish the idea of finishing schools had not gone out of vogue." Clapping her hands, she walked away.

Not much later, Minuzke walked over to assist her. They retired to a small room with fragrant cedar planking. Kaname earned her attendant's scorn when she made certain there were no spy holes.

"Mr. Sagara mentioned your name when we were taking note of his requirements..." The young lady came close to hissing as she spoke.

"You're not his wife or fiance, are you?" With the words 'wife' and 'fiance,' Minuzke pushed the pins she was using too far in.

"Ouch. NO! "

"I see. Good. You're not his girlfriend, then?" Again, with the word 'girlfriend,' the pin made Kaname jump. "Please, if you don't stay still, I can't guarantee your safety."

"Ouch. Definitely NOT!"

"Wonderful. Very good. Are you interested in him? Is he interested in you?" The painful pricks came with 'interested,' 'him,' and 'you.'

"Yeow. Ouch. Aaah. No. Definitely not. NO WAY!"

"How nice." The woman smiled a feral smile. "Do you happen to know his phone number? If you tell me, I won't make you purchase this dress. You've gotten your blood all over it..."

The process went on longer…… less painfully, fortunately…… and Kaname was pleased with her final selection of outfits. Clothes for every occasion.

'I should be the talk of the school, at the very least. Thank you, my precious ticket.'

Sousuke was nearly done with his ordeal. Kaname sighed in relief.

'Good. Then we can finally be on our way.'

At one point, she dropped all the clothes she was carrying onto the floor. Sousuke had walked out of the fitting room in a vest and slacks outfit that left her breathless.

'What's with you Kaname. It's only Sousuke. Get a grip!'

"How will Sir pay for this?" Yukina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh. As I had tried to tell you, I was here waiting to escort Miss Chidori home." At those words, Yukina upped Kaname's bill by 10.

"But, seeing that everyone worked so hard, I can make a purchase-I do have a number for a secret Swiss bank account." Hearing that, a number of the younger girls fainted.

Kaname's expression soured.

"Well, secret or not, Swiss accounts are fine with me." Yukina winked and curtsied. "However, seeing that it was our fault that we misunderstood you, there is no obligation on your behalf."

Despite losing a large sale, the woman continued to grin. "If you are game, there is a way you may earn those fine outfits."

"Madame?"

"Unless I am mistaken, one or two of the girls might have found you somewhat attractive." Every young lady in the shop pointed to her own chest and nodded her head.

Sweat beaded up on Sousuke's brow.

"If you were willing to model clothes at our next big event, your fee for services would easily cover the cost. Is there anything you can do…… any special talent that you have…… that might enhance your effectiveness as a model? Any noteworthy props?"

"Uhhh. I will let you be the judge." Sousuke asked to have his coat and his bag brought out to him from the back room. He took out his Glock and showed Yukina that.

"Oh my. Simply dangerous. The spy look. It would be so suave, so exciting." Yukina smiled as she heard all the girls sigh.

"Might I convince you to strike a pose?" She clapped when Sousuke complied. "Ahh, Mr. Bond, that is shaken not stirred, if I remember correctly."

Her bags of clothing a heavy load, Kaname tapped her one foot angrily as she waited for this nonsense to come to an end.

"Yes, you will most certainly do, Mr. Sagara. As icing on the cake, do you have any special effects?"

Kaname could not get a warning out in time. Sousuke reached into his coat pocket, pulled a pin, and dropped a flash grenade on the floor. It went off with a blinding glare of light, causing the shop staff to cover their eyes.

Blinded during her rush to stop Sousuke, Kaname tripped over a large rack of evening dresses.

"Wonderful Mr. Sagara. Simply wonderful. We have ourselves a deal. We'll prepare your clothes for you and call you with the date of our next show." Yukina turned and walked towards the back room.

Kaname picked up her parcels and headed for the door out of the shop.

"Oh. Before you leave Miss Chidori, please give your card to Minuzke again. That rack was special order..."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The most recent events had scraped some of the luster off of Kaname's expansive mood.

But, she was only a few blocks away from home.

Her, and her glorious ticket.

'A hot bath. A warm meal. Cuddling with her ticket.' She laughed. 'Let's not go off the deep end, Kaname!'

She looked behind her, seeing Sousuke walking hunched over under the weight of her bags and parcels. He was slogging onward quietly, never uttering a single complaint. Even in the dark, she knew that his eyes would be constantly looking, analyzing, and looking again Nothing would escape his scrutiny.

Nothing she said or did would cause him to turn away.

'A blessing and a curse,' she mused.

"How's my pack mule doing back there? If you're good, I might throw you a nice carrot or a handful of oats. If you're really good, I might give you a sugar cube." She laughed, feeling so free as she heard the sound of her voice disappear into the gusting wind.

"I am doing fine, Kaname. But, I should remind you, I am a Specialist, not a mule. Did I do something in that clothier's shop that upset you, Kaname?"

"Wh-Wh-What?" Kaname almost stumbled, caught off guard. "Don't be stupid, Sousuke. What could you do that would matter to me?" She felt a twinge of guilt and regret when the words left her mouth.

"I see. It is not a problem then. I will continue to do my best to protect you, Kaname." His voice held neither regret nor enthusiasm. "At the cost of my own life, I will make certain that you come to no harm."

"Oh." Kaname did not know exactly what she was feeling. Then, inspiration hit her. She could reward his dedication without offering anything of herself.

"Sousuke, would you like to see it? Should I show you my ticket?" She did a pirouette and a little hop step. "Of course, what could a winning lottery ticket mean to a moody military misfit?"

Her shadow blurred and became sharp again as she danced about. Shrouded by the halos formed around the street lamps, she seemed like an unearthly spirit. Then abruptly, she ran towards him with the ticket waving in her hand.

Serendipity struck, its fangs sinking deep into Kaname's heaving bossom.

Stepping in a deep pot hole, she twisted her ankle. Grimacing in pain, her hands twitched just as an exceedingly strong gust of wind swirled around her like a small twister. The ticket slipped from her grasp, joining countless other scraps of paper garbage in their fluttering flight.

"Nooooooooo! My ticket! My precious!" Kaname's cry was gut-wrenching. Her eyes darting here and there, she zeroed in on a colorful piece of paper. "There you are!" She took off running, heedless of her own safety.

Sousuke was not watching Kaname. Adept at tracking multiple targets simultaneously, he easily followed the course of the true ticket. Taking a few steps, he swiped his hand against the breeze, snagging the errant paper. He turned to reassure Kaname, shocked at what he saw.

A number of large flatbed dumpsters were lined up along the side of the street, their true number hard to appreciate in the reduced light. Kaname had climbed up the metal handholds on the side of one container, jumping out of sight when she reached the top.

"KANAME!" Sousuke's voice blew back to him in the relentless wind. "KANAME, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I HAVE YOUR TICKET!"

There was no way she could have heard him.

Sousuke rushed to see if she was alright. As he ran, he saw various items fly out of the dumpster and on to the street. Chicken carcasses. Jars. Empty cans. Soggy magazines. Diapers. A clock. An old sock. Boxes. Small bags of refuse. A scrawny looking cat, fishbone in its mouth.

Deep within the dumpster, kicking the snow off of the trash, Kaname was frantically looking for her ticket.

She was certain it had flown in here. There was an ungodly stench coming off of the disgusting and clinging garbage. Her hands, arms, and face were soon covered with crystals of ice and bits of slime and filth.

"No! Damn it. WHERE'S MY TICKET? MY TICKET..."

Climbing up the side of the dumpster, Sousuke caught the slightest hint of mechanical noise. Blurred, but growing steadily larger, he saw what appeared to be pairs of yellow eyes heading in their direction.

Lights.

Vehicle lights.

What kind? He had a sinking suspicion. Finishing his climb, he saw Kaname run to the far end of the dumpster, paying him no heed. The lights were getting too close.

There was no time to jump down and carry her up against her will.

"Miss Chidori! Get out! There's danger coming!" She probably didn't hear him, or wasn't inclined to listen.

Sousuke sprung off the top of the enclosure and ran off into the dark. It was just what he had feared. Large front-end loaders. At least four of them. Make that five.

Headed straight for the dumpsters.

If they were carrying snow. If, as he suspected, the snow was destined for Kaname's dumpster, he would have to stop them all.

Like a knight, Sousuke steeled him self to go forth and face the dragons. Rolling into clearer view, the five huge yellow Komatsu tractors approached in a long staggered line, their huge front shovels heaped with snow and debris. Black smoke was driven out of rear smoke stacks. Snow and ice flew off of the massive rotating tires. The top mounted lights were strong, causing him to squint.

'Front one first. It's risky, but it might just work. If not, it will no longer be my problem.'

Sousuke ran, taking off his coat and waving it. The lead vehicle did not slow or deviate from its path.

'I hope their visibility is sufficient. It would be good if their brakes were strong.'

Saying a short prayer, he threw himself to the ground and watched with baited breath.

The driver was exhausted. It had been a long day. His attention was wandering. His head thrown back, he downed the remained of the now cold coffee in his Thermos. When he looked back on the street, he saw a body laying right in his path. His reactions took over. There was absolutely no time for thought.

'Won't trust my ability to stop this puppy in time.'

He jerked the wheel hard to the left, away from the fallen form. He pushed hard on the horn button.

Distracted, the driver had allowed his speed to fall. He had not seen how close the second front-end loader had gotten. Too late, he realized that he had set his vehicle on a collision course.

One tractor rammed the other. The first operator had a fleeting look of the other driver's startled expression as his own vehicle was forced up onto the sidewalk, tipping over after one set of wheels ran up and over a series of large metal benches. Snow tumbled far out into the street as the machine slid on its side.

His own loader bounced over a number of squat city mailboxes, running one set of its wheels up along a collapsing metal rail…… through the front window of consecutive roadside shops and cafes…… and down onto the sidewalk again. It stopped short of a prized piece of avantgarde sidewalk art.

The sound of alarms filled the night.

'That takes care of two. Move it Sousuke. There is no margin for error.'

One machine had effectively flanked him. He could not use the same trick again. There must be some way he could get the operator's attention.

'YES!'

Running, he took his remaining two flash grenades in hand, pulled the pins, and threw them onto the the load of the third machine.

WHAM-FLASH. WHAM-FLASH.

The bright light temporarily blinded the driver. His instinct to go for the brake was overwhelmed by his complete and total shock. He pushed down on the accelerator involuntarily. Hands going to his eyes, he relinquished control of his tractor to fate. The massive piece of construction equipment veered away from the dumpster, crushing the hood of an expensive parked Lexus and flattening the rear end of a Nissan Sklyine.

The operator regained control just as the scoop knocked a fire hydrant off of its mooring, sending a huge geyser of water skyward.

The Nissan burst into flames.

'Go! Two more...'

As the fourth loader rumbled by, Sousuke grabbed hold of its stair rail. Swinging him self up, he jumped up to the top of the stairs. He banged on the driver's window with the but of his gun, but the man took no notice, his eyes locked onto his destination. Executing a side vault move, he pulled himself up onto the leading edge of the cabin, then stepped around, blocking the front windshield.

Huge brakes locked firmly, bringing the 40,000 pound machine to a sliding stop.

"No. KANAME!"

He was too late. The fifth and final WA-400-5 dropped nearly 6 cubic yards of heavy snow out of its bucket and into the crucial waiting dumpster.

Sousuke shot up the handrails on the huge garbage bin as if he were rocket- propelled. Assuming a diver's stance, he tried to knife his was deep into the snow, only to find himself thwarted by its sodden density. He dug at the snow with his two hands until they bled, getting nowhere. Regaining his faculties, he whirled about, ready to hijack one of the tractors so he could tip the dumster over, spilling out the snow and Kaname.

'Move!'

"Sousuke, what are you up to now?What the hell happened around here" Kaname's voice was loud, but not angry. Her shoulders were slumped. There were dirty tracks where tears had coursed down her face.

She was sitting at the side of a different dumpster.

"Kaname, you're OK" Sousuke fought to maintain his composure. Why was he so excited?

"I thought you were still in there. I was afraid you were going to die" His heart pounded.

"I almost wish I did, Sousuke." She held up her hand when she saw his mouth open. "Almost, Sousuke. It was only a ticket. A scrap of paper. A thing." She pasued, sighing. "Worth a lot of money."

Jumping down, Sousuke showed Kaname what he had clenched in his fist.

It was the ticket.

Kaname was speechless. She picked up the ticket, unable to express her thanks. She felt the urge to hug Sousuke, but he had taken off running.

"Sousuke. What are you doing?" Kaname saw a number of men running in her direction. Were they after Sousuke?

"Your clothes bag. I had to drop it. It's hooked to the back of that tractor."

Sure enough, the one machine, free of its heavy load, moved slowly off into the night. A low hanging piece of metal had snagged her bags of fancy clothes. Sousuke was in hot pursuit.

'What a night. What a totally unbelievable day. No, not unbelievable with Sousuke around. That's the scary part.'

Kaname walked away from the dumpster and towards the site of one of the accidents. She looked at her ticket in the light of the burning car. It had gotten wet, and some of the obscuring grime had rubbed off. She felt tears come to her eyes again. She couldn't help it.

She was physically spent and emotionally exhausted.

'Why did I make that assumption? Why? How could I be so stupid? How could I put so much hope into anything again?'

It was a January lottery ticket, alright.

Last January...

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname wandered the street alone.

For a while she saw no one, heard nothing, and had nowhere she wanted to go. How long was she out there? She neither knew nor cared. It wasn't that part of her didn't realize that her actions were silly and immature.

She just didn't give a damn.

Her ticket was worthless. She had rung up a huge bill on her credit card, but the clothes were likely gone or ruined. Looking for a tissue to blow her nose with, she realized she had left her book bag back at the grocery store.

She was freezing…… soaking wet…… covered with dirt…… and smelling of coffee. Her skirt was ripped and her blouse irreparably stained.

The unwanted litany of the events at school paraded before her eyes again.

How could things get any worse?

She stood at the doorway to her apartment building for ten minutes before she convinced herself to go in. Hours had passed, and her hands were a bit numb. Oblivious, she did not slide her key all of the way in before turning it sharply. It broke off in her hand. Fifteen minutes later, she buzzed the manager's office.

He was not happy to be awakened at that hour.

Head resting against the cool metal wall of the elevator, it took her ten more minutes to realize she never punched a button. She looked for a button labeled 'New Life.'

There wasn't one.

Totally drained, she almost didn't turn the light on in her apartment. When she did, her world turned around again.

The majority of her garment bags and all of her parcels lay across her coffee table, an envelope sitting on top of them. More than a dozen bags of groceries sat on the floor, overflowing with food and household items.

She walked over to the table and picked up the envelope, her hands trembling ever so slightly. She opened it. The note was from Sousuke:

Kaname,

I have retrieved your clothing. Most of it appears in great condition. One group of blouses and slacks was soiled, so I have retained them. I will deliver them to the cleaners early next morning.

I will apologize if the groceries are insufficient. I had noticed the items in your shopping cart. Additional useful items were added through logical progression. You will notice the total absence of MREs.

I saw the lottery ticket, and understand that you must be upset. I am sorry. There is nothing I can do about that.

I noticed that you were missing your school bag. I do not recall seeing it after the grocery store. It is likely there. I will visit the store and retrieve it for you, so it will be available before school starts. I will not use either of the doors into the meat locker.

Rest well.

Sousuke Sagara.

Sergeant, Mithril, Special Response Team.

Assigned to covert duty.

Kaname couldn't help herself. She smiled and wiped away new tears. Until she read the postscript:

'Tomorrow's another day.'

It certainly was. If it was going to be anything like today, she was going to chain her leg to her bed and throw the key out of her window! There was absolutely no way she was going to leave this apartment again!

She thought of Sousuke at the grocery store...looking for her book bag...in trouble again.

In utter disbelief, she found herself putting her coat and shoes back on.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

THE END


End file.
